U.S. House Collects Information to Counter Disposable vaping devices Imported from China

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives are requesting information from federal officials on how to stop the recent influx of child-attractive e-cigarette products imported from China.<\/p>

A member of a newly established congressional committee on U.S.-China relations sent this request last week to leaders at the Department of Justice and the Food and Drug Administration, calling attention to the "extreme proliferation of illegal vaping products."<\/p>

The letter cited reports from the Associated Press, which noted that thousands of new disposable e-cigarettes have been launched in recent years, most of which are manufactured in China and sold in flavors like watermelon and gummy bears.<\/p>

In May of this year, the agency requested customs officials to block imports of Elf Bar, a compact and colorful vaping device that has become popular among teenagers.<\/p>

Media reports indicate that the company behind Elf Bar has been able to circumvent the ban by simply renaming its products, which remain widely available in convenience stores and vape shops.<\/p>

"We request that you work with Customs and Border Protection to address this urgent issue with all due speed," said 12 committee members, including committee chair Mike Gallagher and Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, in this bipartisan letter.<\/p>

This special committee was established earlier this year to combat Chinese policies that may harm the U.S. economy. Tensions between the two countries have been escalating for years, with both sides implementing retaliatory measures on imported goods.